STYLE UNLOCKED {living fashionably}
STAGES OF DRESS Clothes help tell the story at Childsplay
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By Catie Richman | Contributing Writer
or more than four decades, Childsplay has invited young audiences throughout Arizona to experience high-quality, professional theater. Touring shows at schools, in-house performances at the Herberger Theater, drama academy classes and educational outreach all engage children and families in the magic of theater. But at the height of the 2020 spring season, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing Childsplay to seek new ways to keep that magic alive. “The business of live theatre is all about bringing people together with live actors to share an experience,” said Dwayne Hartford, Childsplay’s artistic director. “For us, the vast majority of our audience are students who either come to one of our productions on a school field trip or experience Childsplay in their school.” With school closures and government restrictions on public gatherings to fight the spread of COVID-19, Childsplay canceled their spring show as well as their in-school residency work and academy classes and pivoted to providing digital content. The result is the Online Drama Academy taught by professional theater artists. Workshops offers online
36 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | MAY 2020
drama instruction from one-on-one coaching to virtual group classes like “Improvirtual” and “Onward to Adventure,” which culminate in a Zoom showcase that family and friends can “attend.” Childsplay also rolled out “Imagine Together Online,” a series of family activities, creative projects and learning opportunities. The roster includes family social challenges, online streaming of full performances from the archives, and the “Explore-aStory” series that features Childsplay associate artists who invite viewers to join them for a drama-infused story reading. They also recently debuted “Mira y Crea” (Look and Create), which offers some of the content in Spanish to make it more accessible. “Looking forward, we face the uncertainty of when schools will be ready to come back to the theater or welcome us back into the schools themselves. We are looking at ways that we can be as flexible as possible, being as ready as we can be for the near- and midterm so that we will be here long-term,” Hartford said. Until the time comes when they can resume live theater, members of Childsplay look back on some of their most cherished characters and costumes.
